Cabo ~ Sun, Surf and Swimming!

One of the very best things about our week stay in Cabo is the chance to be in the water for the better part of everyday.  Carter and Kennedy love to swim!  And I love laying in the sun near the water :)  This year, Carter really enjoyed playing on the beach ~ jumping waves, swimming in the ocean and body surfing a bit.  We emptied out pounds of sand from his swim trunks each day, but he didn't seem to mind a bit.  Kennedy still preferred the pool and swam most of the day, quite independently.  She's a little fish and is so very happy when in the water!

Another highlight of pool time was enjoying yummy strawberry smoothies!

Ocean time! 

Our resort is on the Sea of Cortez side of Cabo, so the water is relatively calm and there isn't much of an undertow.  The boys had so much fun in the waves!

I love this picture and a glimpse into our future ~ Each afternoon, after playing the water for hours, Carter would have a snack and rest while enjoying a book.  It thrills me to no end that Carter loves to read!

Sloane was a little fish, too!

I got in a little baby time too!

swimming with Grandma

venturing out to the beach...Kennedy got a bit more brave as the week went on

Auntie Stacy and Miss K

Uncle J and the boys

On our last full day, we took a water taxi out to Lover's Beach at the tip of the Baja (where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez).  It was so fun to explore and get a little tour of the area.  Our guide was great and so sweet with the kids.  He pointed out fun rock formations and gave us a bit of history too.

lots of rock climbing and exploring

Kennedy took our picture!

These two were inseparable the entire trip.
This particular morning, Bennett wouldn't swim until Carter came down to the pool.

On our last morning, Kennedy finally decided that the ocean was fun ~ she splashed and played and had a great time!

love that smile!

Swimming - my little fish

One of my favorite parts of the summer has been the kids' swimming lessons.  We tried out a new place, an outdoor pool in our neighborhood, and it worked out well.  The instruction wasn't the best, but the kids got time in the pool to practice and play and I got 60 minutes of restorative sunshine and great conversation with my sweet friend, Kathy.  It was like a mini vacation each afternoon.  A little bit of heaven!  And the kids had a ball.  They both love the water and love to swim so much.  Kennedy continues to be fearless and has actually shown some progress with her strokes this summer.  Carter had a great foundation and has definitely enjoyed his time in the pool.  It was even more fun that they got to swim with their friends.  I think we'll return to our normal pool in the winter months, but this was a great change for the summer.

Matching swimsuit day

There were cute twins in Kennedy and Kaitlin's class, so Kathy and I coordinated with their mom and had the kids wear matching suits one day.

Such cuteness!

These two have really enjoyed each other this summer and I'm thankful for this new friendship for Kennedy.  Both girls are strong willed so it can get interesting at times, but they have many similar interests and have fun playing together.

The diving board was new - no fear!

Diving right in!

Carter getting a little instruction

so happy to be in the water

Carter and Andrew were in the same class and had a lot of fun together

Getting ready...

jumping in!

It really was such a fun two weeks and I feel blessed that Carter and Kennedy are able to do these sorts of things.  I hope that these times provided fun summer memories for them.

little fishes

We just finished up our third consecutive session (fifteen weeks!) of swimming lessions for Carter and Kennedy.  It was a great activity to have during the winter and both kids improved so much! 

 Kennedy has always been a little fish, fearless in the water.  But now she can actually do some strokes (or movements that closely resemble strokes) and float on her back.  She is always in classes with kids who are older than she is, and I'm always so proud of how she does...keeps right up and tries everything that the instructor asks.

 Carter moved up to a level 3 for his last session and learned so much.  He is swimming laps in the pool and doing so great!  His strongest stroke is the back stroke, but he's mastered the crawl and worked on the breast stroke, side stroke, treaded water in a hula hoop (without touching it!) for over a minute and started diving a bit.  I am always so proud when watching Carter swim.  When he started at 3, he was so fearful of the water and now he couldn't be more comfortable...he jumps right in!

 Taking photos of kids swimming was a challenge.  But I really wanted to document this time.

We're taking a little break during the spring, but hopefully we'll do lessons again in the summer.  My kiddos love the water, and I know that swimming is an important skill that they will use all of their lives.  I also love that they were able to get physical activity twice a week during the cold winter months.

Little Fishies

The kiddos (and Kyle and Justin, who should receive 'Dad of the Year' awards!) spent the majority of each day in the pool, having a fabulous time. It was so great for me to watch them enjoy their themselves so much and to see how much Carter has improved in the water. He was swimming the length of the pool, doing cannon balls off the upper edge and diving down to retrieve his dive sticks. He was so comfortable and had so much fun.

Who needs a gym? Kyle got quite the workout throwing the kids up in the air. They were in the pool within 30 minutes of us arriving at the resort - so excited to finally be there!

so much fun

Oh the goggles...here's B looking pretty good! It was hilarious to see Kennedy with hers, as she usually insisted on putting them on herself. They were always half on, or covering only one eye. She looked a little special most of the time.

Carter and Grandma

Ready for the pool, Dad!

Justin and all 3 kids

Mr. Cool

I love my little fish!

Taking a little rest

Hey quick, grab a camera Mom's in the pool.

Enjoying a fruity smoothie during happy hour. Thankfully we didn't discover these until the end of the trip. It was a constant request from this point on!